Exclusive: Lagardère Travel Retail debuts Infin’eat food hall concept at Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport
Infin’Eat features five food & beverage venues – EL&N London Café, Sawa, Strada Mia, Kaki and Hardees – and is the first in a series planned for major airports by Lagardère Travel Retail under the new food hall brand name.
SAUDI ARABIA. Lagardère Travel Retail has debuted its new food court concept, Infin’eat, on the mezzanine level in Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport Terminal 4. It is the first in a series of openings planned for the brand across major airports.
The 995sq m space, featuring five food & beverage venues, has been designed in partnership with Altavia.Travel Retail.
The food hall, which has a single shared kitchen to maximise efficiency, is anchored by the first EL&N London Café to appear in an airport outside the UK. The space for the premium coffee shop includes 85 seats with table service.
Infin’Eat has an additional 245 seats which are shared communally by the other four venues. Three of those venues are Lagardère Travel Retail proprietary F&B brands, comprising Lebanese restaurant Sawa, Italian restaurant Strada Mia and pan-Asian cuisine restaurant Kaki.
Completing the food hall line-up is Hardees, the number one burger restaurant chain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The space features a wide walkway which flows past the five venues and four digital screens highlighting the cuisine available at its entrance.
Describing the new dining area, Lagardère Travel Retail said: “The food hall is a vibrant, urban-inspired space designed to engage travellers from all walks of life. Its aesthetic seamlessly blends diverse styles and flavours, creating a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere where guests can enjoy a whole culinary experience.”
Lagardère Travel Retail Saudi Arabia CEO Mélanie Guilldou told The Moodie Davitt Report: “We have brought to life our vision of today’s food hall: a space where travellers can enjoy both delicious cuisine and a comfortable, welcoming seating area. The addition of the mocktail bar at the entrance adds liveliness and sets the tone for an engaging experience.
“Unified under our global food hall brand, Infin’Eat – Explore and Taste – the concept perfectly complements the airport’s other offers, naturally drawing customers to this mezzanine space.
“To further enhance the experience, we will soon introduce additional services, such as self-ordering kiosks and QR codes for convenient table-side ordering.”
The next Lagardère Travel Retail Infin’eat food court projects are scheduled for Bulgaria’s Varna and Burgas airports later this year.
Designer’s view
Speaking exclusively to The Moodie Davitt Report about the design of the food court, Altavia.Travel Retail Creative Director Talar Baradkjian noted one of the main challenges was to localise the concept, and make it appeal to both domestic and international passengers.
She said: “Riyadh Airports Company [operator of King Khalid International Airport] places a strong emphasis on reinterpreting the rich local history of Riyadh and Saudi Arabia through a contemporary lens. This vision seeks to celebrate the region’s cultural heritage by incorporating traditional elements into modern designs, creating spaces that are both innovative and deeply rooted with local identity.
“The architecture of King Khalid International Airport played a significant role in shaping our approach. The airport’s design is distinguished by its striking ceiling, with an intricate array of domes. Our primary challenge was to honour this iconic architecture while introducing a new element that could stand out with its own unique identity.
“After thoughtful consideration, we developed an arched structure that harmonises seamlessly with the existing design, resonating with the airport’s architectural language while adding a distinctive character of its own.
“Our goal was to infuse vibrancy into the mezzanine level, creating an atmosphere that appeals to all types of passengers – whether domestic or international, social or business travellers. We want to draw them upstairs to enjoy a meal, relax and unwind in a space that offers a serene experience.
“The concept has received really positive feedback from the airport.”
Speaking about the project’s EL&N London Café element, Baradkjian commented: “The EL&N venue was a great part of the food hall to work on; it gave us the opportunity to add a high level of hospitality experience. It’s a premium space in terms of service, offering and overall look and feel.
“It was a great step from Lagardère to bring EL&N café into this food hall, enabling us to create a different, higher-level hospitality experience, beyond where you just eat and move on.”
Baradkjian revealed that Altavia.Travel Retail has partnered with Lagardère Travel Retail on another food hall design, set to open soon in Peru at Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport. Stay tuned to The Moodie Davitt Report for comprehensive coverage. 
The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie is currently on location in Saudi Arabia visiting some the country’s leading airports, including King Khalid International. Look out for his series of reports, coming soon.
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining.
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